Claire is new Hinckley customer service champion
Custom Enterprises of Hinckley have further improved their already high level of customer service - thanks to Claire Smith and De Montfort University.
Claire joined Custom Enterprises as part of a placement from De Montfort University: the Hinckley based business are one of the leading accountancy and bookkeeping companies in the area.
So effective was Claire's contribution that Custom Enterprises gained the ISO 9001:2008 quality mark and went on to be highly commended in the Hinckley Business Association Awards "Employer of the Year" category.
As a result of Claire's outstanding contribution - including working long hours and weekends - she has been rewarded with a permanent job.
Photo shows (left to right) Rebecca Shorter, Loni Smith, Glen Patterson, Sue McDonagh & Claire Smith of Custom Enterprises at the recent Hinckley Business Association Awards.
Benefits of the graduate internship scheme
Glen Patterson, Custom's managing director, said Ms Smith's success highlighted the value of internships and urged other firms to use the scheme.
"I would encourage anyone to take part in this," he said.
"There's definitely a good quality of students out there. You might think 'how can somebody with no business experience help our business?' But in our case one certainly has."
"Normally, it would cost an absolute fortune to get an ISO 9001," said Mr Patterson.
Ms Smith, who lives in Birstall and has been with Custom since the summer, said: "Even if I hadn't got a job out of it, it would have given me great experience for my CV."
She said friends were finding it a lot more difficult to get on to traditional graduate trainee schemes because of the recession.
More about the scheme
Ms Smith is one of 24 interns taking part in the scheme at companies across Leicestershire. Two now have permanent jobs and three have been told they will be taken on. The scheme runs until September 2010 and aims to place about 50 graduates who have not managed to find jobs.
Lisa Naik, De Montfort's graduate internships project manager, said: "Claire's internship has provided Custom Enterprises with a cost-effective method of utilising a graduate's skills and knowledge.
"These internships are a win-win scheme, giving graduates a kick-start to their career as well as offering employers fresh talent."
The scheme is supported by the Higher Education Funding Council for England.
